Chapman Peak of the Livingston Range in Glacier National Park, Montana — with Summit Lake in Alberta.
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48.9631° N114.0240° W2,841 mBortle 1Denver

Chapman Peak Photography Guide

Mountain Peak in Glacier County, Montana · 2,841 m (9,321 ft)

  • Bortle 1 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 234°–309°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way May–Jul
Photo: Traveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Chapman Peak is a mountain peak in Glacier County, Montana at about 2,841 m (9,321 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Whitefish, about 66 km (41 mi) away (Chapman Peak lies NNE of town).

Chapman Peak (9,411 feet (2,868 m)) is located in the Livingston Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Chapman Peak is situated along the Continental Divide. The mountain is named for Robert H. Chapman, one of the US Geological Survey topographers who worked on mapping Glacier Park between 1900 and 1904.From the Wikipedia article “Chapman Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
2,841 m
9,321 ft
Nearest town
Whitefish
66 km (41 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 1
Excellent dark-sky site
Clearest month
July
38% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
2.5 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:04 PM
sunset 6:48 PM

Light at Chapman Peak

Live
Sunrise
8:05 AM
Sunset
6:38 PM
Golden hour AM
7:45 AM – 8:49 AM
Golden hour PM
5:54 PM – 6:58 PM
Blue hour AM
7:33 AM – 7:45 AM
Blue hour PM
6:58 PM – 7:10 PM
Full darkness
8:24 PM – 6:21 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:25 PM / 1:33 AM
Day length
10h 33m
Sunrise azimuth
105°
Sunset azimuth
255°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Denver. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Chapman Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:40 AM89° E7:49 PM271° W41°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:33 AM52° NE9:45 PM309° NW64°16h 12m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:23 AM89° E7:36 PM271° W41°12h 13m
December solstice (Dec 21)8:28 AM126° SE4:42 PM234° SW18°8h 14m

Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.

Golden hour & blue hour by month

Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.

Month (15th)Blue hour startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:49 AM8:25 AM9:18 AM4:15 PM5:07 PM5:43 PM8h 42m
February7:13 AM7:45 AM8:31 AM5:12 PM5:57 PM6:30 PM10h 12m
March7:19 AM7:50 AM8:32 AM7:00 PM7:41 PM8:13 PM11h 51m
April6:12 AM6:46 AM7:28 AM7:45 PM8:28 PM9:01 PM13h 42m
May5:17 AM5:55 AM6:41 AM8:25 PM9:12 PM9:50 PM15h 17m
June4:50 AM5:32 AM6:22 AM8:52 PM9:43 PM10:25 PM16h 10m
July5:08 AM5:49 AM6:37 AM8:48 PM9:36 PM10:17 PM15h 48m
August5:54 AM6:29 AM7:13 AM8:10 PM8:54 PM9:29 PM14h 24m
September6:42 AM7:13 AM7:55 AM7:09 PM7:51 PM8:23 PM12h 38m
October7:25 AM7:57 AM8:41 AM6:04 PM6:48 PM7:20 PM10h 51m
November7:12 AM7:46 AM8:36 AM4:07 PM4:57 PM5:31 PM9h 10m
December7:47 AM8:24 AM9:20 AM3:45 PM4:40 PM5:17 PM8h 16m

Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.

Milky Way & night sky

From Chapman Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-6°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—4°—
MarchBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
April4:27 AM – 4:37 AM0.211°SSE → SSE
May2:36 AM – 3:16 AM0.712°SSE → S
June12:26 AM – 2:56 AM2.512°SSE → SSW
July12:37 AM – 1:07 AM0.511°S → SSW
August11:04 PM – 11:04 PM0.010°SSW → SSW
SeptemberBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—4°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
DecemberBelow 10° in darkness—-20°—

Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.

Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F434765738296989990785740
Low °F-32-38-29-720243535222-29-31
Precip. (in)3.02.62.92.52.83.71.11.21.82.53.23.0

Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.

Photography tips for this mountain peak

  • Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
  • Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
  • Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
  • Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
  • Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
  • Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.

Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.

Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Chapman Peak, closest first.

Waterfall
Thunderbird Falls2.6 km away · Glacier County · 2,017 m
Mount CusterMountain Peak
Mount Custer3.1 km away · Flathead County · 2,683 m
Lake FrancesLake
Lake Frances3.1 km away · Glacier County · 1,603 m
Waterfall
Hole-in-the Wall Falls3.2 km away · Flathead County · 1,907 m
Thunderbird MountainMountain Peak
Thunderbird Mountain3.7 km away · Glacier County · 2,629 m
Boulder GlacierGlacier
Boulder Glacier4.7 km away · Flathead County
Boulder PeakMountain Peak
Boulder Peak5.0 km away · Flathead County · 2,599 m
The GuardhouseMountain Peak
The Guardhouse5.3 km away · Glacier County · 2,844 m
Cameron LakeLake
Cameron Lake5.5 km away · Glacier County · 1,661 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Chapman Peak?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
What time is golden hour at Chapman Peak?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:04 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:48 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:41 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Chapman Peak?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 52° in June to 126° in December; sunset ranges from 309° to 234°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Chapman Peak?
Yes — the core is visible from May to July on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chapman Peak?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Chapman Peak from Whitefish?
About 66 km (41 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

Sources

Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.